Whip antennas currently used with portable radio equipment carried, for example, by vehicles normally cannot withstand high voltages exceeding 10 kilovolts. When such whip antennas are tall enough to come in contact with overhead power lines, catastrophic effects result, not only in the destruction of the antenna as well as damage to the radio and vehicle to which it is attached, but also subjects the personnel operating the equipment to possible injury or death.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide high voltage protection for relatively long antennas.
It is another object of the invention to provide high voltage protection for vertically oriented whip antennas.
A further object of the invention is to provide protection for whip antennas coming into contact with overhead power lines and the like.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide high voltage protection for relatively long whip antennas and providing at least 20 kilovolts of insulation against undesired contact with high voltage power lines and other external high voltage sources.